Federer, Djokovic, Soderling reach fourth round in Flushing

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09/04/2010 - Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Five-time champion Roger Federer, 2007 U.S. Open finalist Novak Djokovic and two-time French Open runner-up Robin Soderling were easy third-round winners Saturday at the U.S. Open.

The second-seeded former No. 1 Federer cruised past capable Frenchman Paul- Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 at Ashe Stadium. The mighty Swiss advanced in 1 hour, 39 minutes by ripping 13 aces and holding his formidable serve throughout against Mathieu, who was broken four times by Federer.

Federer is now 54-5 lifetime at the U.S. Open here, including five straight titles from 2004-08. The super Swiss was stunned by big Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in last year's finale at Ashe.

The 16-time Grand Slam event champion Federer, the reigning Australian Open titlist, is trying to reach a seventh straight U.S. Open final.

"The wind was very strong. Tough conditions to play in, especially if you're down in the score. I think you could tell Mathieu was really struggling after being down in the score. His serve, his returns, everything kind of falls into pieces. That's what the wind can do to you," Federer said of Saturday's conditions.

The Swiss' next test will feature Austrian 13th seed Jurgen Melzer, who made short work of Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero in a 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 final that lasted just 1 hour, 44 minutes. The 29-year-old had never moved past the round of 32 here in eight previous attempts.

A third-seeded Djokovic dispatched American James Blake in 1 hour, 44 minutes with a tidy 6-1, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 win. The Serb swatted four aces and broke back four times against Blake, who also committed 31 unforced errors.

The 2008 Australian Open champ and runner-up to Federer here in 2007, Djokovic will next face off against emerging American threat Mardy Fish, whose best finish here was a quarterfinal defeat to Rafael Nadal in 2008.

Seeded 19th this time around, Fish staved off Frenchman Arnaud Clement for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 triumph to reach the final 16 on Day 6 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The fifth-seeded Soderling whipped Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour , 52 minutes. The Swedish slugger saw De Bakker pile up 35 unforced errors and broke De Bakker six times.

The Swede advanced amid very windy conditions on Saturday.

"It was difficult conditions," Soderling said. "I told myself before the match, It's not gonna be pretty. I think during the circumstances, I played a pretty good match."

Soderling lost to world No. 1 superstar Nadal in this year's French Open final and gave way to Federer in last year's Roland Garros finale.

Up next for Soderling will be 21st-seeded Spaniard Albert Montanes, who was leading Kei Nishikori 6-2, 2-1 when the Japanese retired due to a groin injury on Court 11.

Acrobatic 17th-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils secured a spot in the fourth round with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-4 victory over Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, who stunned American favorite Andy Roddick in the second round here. Tipsarevic was slowed by a hamstring injury on Saturday.

The oft-injured Monfils is currently enjoying his best Grand Slam result of 2010.

Another Frenchman reached the fourth round, as former top-10 star Richard Gasquet grounded South African Kevin Anderson 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5. Gasquet will face Monfils in an all-French affair next time out.

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FOOTBALL TRASH TALK

NFL Football Trash Talk

Trash talk has a place in every competitive endeavor (except baseball; those stirrup-wearers are too busy chewing on their sunflower seeds and their supplements to worry about what their opponents are doing).

Fantasy sports is no exception. Any intelligent discussion of the subject would probably start with a thesis statement or a definition of terms. Thankfully, this wont be an intelligent discussion.

Let me just say that I am happy to take a place in this space alongside my talented colleagues, even our commissioner. (You should see how she bleats like a demented paper boy about league fees on our fantasy site).

Trash talking, I would argue, is primarily about amusing your friends, their sheeplike demeanors and sloping foreheads notwithstanding. The best place I have found for football trash talking is at www.SportsAlarm.com.

Beyond the entertainment factor, though, I would recognize that the sophomoric ritual has one advantage, when properly applied. It magnifies your fantasy triumphs and mitigates your fantasy failures by transforming the eventual point total into an afterthought. Winning makes it seem like your opponent really is a truss-owning, lapel-pin-wearing nitwit. And in defeat, trash talk can be the air bag to break the fall from your hyperbolic heights. The plug-necked yahoos on your team, you can say, will be sacking groceries by the end of the season.

The best trash talk, in my view, is layered and nuanced. And it doesnt focus only on your opponents team. It picks apart your opponent. The idea is to create a shock-and-awe-scale blizzard of nonsense, and the goal is to make your opponent drop his hands from his keyboard in exasperation.

What team does your opponent root for? Accuse a Giants fan of having a Joe Namath pillowcase. Wheres your opponent from? Give a look of concern no matter his reply, then say, I'll try to type slower for you next time. Is your opponent into politics? Label everyone a tax-and-spend corporate shill.

Cap all that with a liberal application of irrelevance. For instance, dont just conclude by saying your opponent is a twerp who drafts like my grandmother. Say that your opponent is a sweater-wearing, eyebrow-plucking twerp who drafts his team about as well as Zsa Zsa Gabor gave acceptance speeches at the Oscars. By the time your foe makes sense of that, his starting running back will have had puppies.

But what about you? Hmm? Recall a memorable slam? Have a tried-and-true technique? Know someone who seems impervious to insult? Take a moment and tells us about it. Put together some (fit-for-publication) thoughts. You wont be too busy returning phone messages from your friends, Im sure, to reply.

In addition to the trash talking, the Sports Alarm has a huge gallery of high resolution pictures of beautiful women and models in bikinis. The most popular models are: Lindsay Lohan, Carrie Underwood, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Paris Hilton.

Problem with Bears?

Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.

"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."

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Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.

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